Water measuring and supply apparatus for concrete mixers



C. F. BALL June 6; 1933.

Filed July 8, 1951 OhaaflB all,

Patented June 6, 1933 1 having circumferential pleats whereby it may 1 N EDST PATENT OFFICE CHARLES BALL OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, I ASSIG NOR TO CHAIN BELT COMPANY OF MILWAUKEE, WISGQNSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN WATER MEASURING AND snrrtYnrrnnnrusron 001mm mrxn ts Application filed July vs, 1931. Seria1 No. 549,490.

1 This invention relates to water measuring and supply: apparatus forfconcrete mixers and has for one of its objects to provide an apparatus of this "character which will permit of an extremely accurate control of the quantity of water supplied to thedrum of amixer. X e 1 A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a measuring apparatus in which the water is discharged from the measuringtank by means of 'asiphon discharge conduit, the intake end of which is provided with adjustable means inthe form of afiexible tube be extended and contracted to lengthen and shorten the shorter legof thesiphon, and thereby vary the quantity of water which the siphonwill suck out of the tank. 1 v

A still further object of the invention is to provide a measuring apparatus ofthe character described including aclosed tank in which the flexible tube above mentioned is controlled from the outside by means of a shaft passing through a single relatively small gland or stufiing box whereby the operative parts may be more efiectively sealed against leakage of the Water than in prior constructions ofa similar character. 1

WVith the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, theinvention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter described and particularly pointed'out in the appended claims. 1

Referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification in which the figure is a sectional elevational view of one form of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, 5 indicates a portion of the framework. of' a concrete mixer, upon whichuis mounted a waterreceiving receptacle 6 which is preferably, 'al-' though not necessarily, in the form of a closed tank. The upper wall of said tank is provided with anopening "7, whichopeningwis closedbya goose neck casting 8 having a flange 9-secured by screws or bolts 10 around the perimeter of the said opening. To the said castingh8 there is attached suitable piping 11, leading to a valve 12 for controlling the dischargethrough the extension 13 of the piping which leads to the mixer drum. As willbe readily apparent from 1 the drawing the goose neck casting 8, piping 155 11 and 13 constitute a siphon conduit, the shorter legof which enters the receptacle 6 and which when filled with water is adapted to discharge a predetermined portion of the m contents of the said receptacle through st to phonic action. a i 1 For supplying water to the receptacle 6 there is provided a supply pipe 14 leading from any suitable source ofsupply, which pipe may enter the receptacle directly, but '65 which. is here shown as being connected by the T-connection 15 with the longer leg of the siphon discharge conduit so that the upper portionof the said conduit acts as both a supply and discharge pipe. Secured to the intake end of the goose neck casting 8 within the receptacle 6 isa flexible tube 16 of rubber-or other suitable material which isprovided with a plurality of circumferentially extending accordian pleats 17 whereby the said tube may be extended and contracted in the well known manner.

The lower end 18 of the said tube is connected to across head 19, having an intake opening 20, which cross head is slidably mounted upon the vertically disposed guiderods 21, the upper ends of which aresecured to a stationary plate or disk 22 arranged adjacent the bottom of the receptacle 6. The cross head 19 is 'further provided with a 55 spider 23 whichhas screw. threaded engagement with the threaded portion 24 of the ver tically disposed shaft 25, the lower end of which is journalled in the plate 22 and the upper end of which extends through a suitable gland or stuffing box 26 in the casting 8 and is provided with a gear 27 by means of which the shaft may be rotated. Aflplu- 1 rality of vertically extending rods 28 are provided' between the casting 8 and'the lower plate 22within the flexible tube. 16 and serve to prevent the inward collapse of the walls or the said tube due to the pressure *from without of the water within the receptacle 6; The receptacle 6, when closed, is Vented to the atmosphere by means of a pipe 30 communicating with the interior of the receptacle through a port 31, and a branch 32 of the said vent communicates with the siphon conduit through a port 33, whereby both the receptacle and the conduit are vented to the atmosphere. The siphon vent 32 includes an outwardly opening check valve 34:, of any desired construction which will permit of the escape of air from the siphon conduit during the filling of the tank, but which seats to prevent admission of air-during discharge, which would break the siphonic action.

The intake pipe 1 1 is provided with a suitable control valve 31 and as is customary in such apparatus the valves 12 and 31 are inter connected or operated by a single means through lost motion connections whereby each valve will be fully closed before the other valve is opened and vice versa.

The operation of the apparatus will be clear from the foregoing but it is briefly summarized as follows:

Assuming the discharge valve 12 to be closed, upon opening of-the supply valve 31 the water from the supply pipe 1 1 will enter the'tank through the upper portion of the siphon conduit 11 and goose neck casting 8 to completely fill the said tank, the air therein escaping through the vent 30. The :filling is continued until all the air in the tank and in the siphon conduit is forced out whereupon the supplyvalve 31 is closed and subsequent to such closing the discharge valve 12 is opened. The longer leg of the siphon conduit being filled with water, it will through the well-known siphonic action begin to flow and will suck out of the receptacle 6 a predetermined amount of water, which amount will be determined by the vertical adjustment of the' pleated flexible tube 16. In other words, the water will continue to flow from the receptacle until the level therein falls below the level of the intake opening 20 of the cross head 19, whereupon the siphon will be broken and the flow will cease. By vertically adjustingthe cross head 19 thereby .extending or contracting, as the case may be, the pleated tube 16, the amount of water withdrawn may be varied at will. The screw-threaded connection between the operating shaft 25 and the cross head 19-of course permits of a very fine adjustment, which is highly desirable in concrete mixer Water control, especially where the water-cement ratio theory is being employed in the mixing of concrete.

The employment of the comparatively small operating shaft 25 enables the use of the relatively small gland or stufling box 26 and since this is the only point at which an operating part extends beyond the wall of the tank or-conduit-and since the apparatus operates at atmospheric pressure, it is a relatively simple matter to keep this joint water tight.

lVhile one form of the invention has been illustrated and described it is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore it is not Wished to be limited to the above disclosure except as may be required by the claims. i

W hat'is claimed is:

1. In water measuring and supply apparatus for concrete mixers, a receptacle; a supply conduit for said receptacle; a discharge conduit leading from said receptacle; a flexible pleated tube connected to the intake end of said discharge conduit and ex.- tending into said receptacle; a cross-head connected to said tube;-and screwthreaded means engaging said cross-head for moving it back and forthand consequently extending and contracting said pleated tube, where.- by the quantity of water discharged from said receptacle throughsaid conduit may be controlled.

2. In water measuring and supply apparatus for concrete mixers, a receptacle; a supply conduit for said receptacle; a discharge conduit leading from said receptacle; a flexible pleated tube connected to the intake end of said discharge conduit and extending into said'receptacle; means within said tube for preventing its collapse from external pressure; a cross-head connected to said tube; and screw-threaded means engaging said cross-head .formoving it back and forth and consequently extending and contracting said plaited tube, whereby the. quantity of water discharged from said receptacle through said conduit may be controlled.

3. In water measuring and supply apparatus for concreate mixers, a receptacle; a supply conduit for said receptacle; a siphon discharge conduit leading from said receptacle, one leg thereof being provided with a flexible pleated tube; and means for extending and contracting said pleated tube to lengthen and shorten said leg, whereby the quantity of water discharged from said receptacle by said siphon may be controlled.

4. In water measuring and supply apparatus for concrete mixers, a closed receptacle; a supply conduit for said receptacle; a siphon discharge conduit, the intake end of which enters'the top wall of said receptacle; a flexible pleated tube connected to said intake end within said receptacle; and means operable from the exterior of said receptacle for extending and contracting said pleated tube to lengthen and shorten the shorter leg of said siphon, whereby the quantity of water discharged from said receptacle by said siphon may be controlled.

5. In water measuring and supply apparatus for concrete mixers, a closed receptacle; a valved supply conduit for said receptacle; a siphon discharge conduit having a valve in its longer leg, the intake end of said conduit entering the top Wall ofsaid receptacle; an air vent for said receptacle and said siphon, the siphon portion thereof including a check valve for permitting escape of air from said portion and preventing admission of air thereto; a flexible pleated tube connected to the intake end of said siphon Within said receptacle; a rotatable shaft Within said receptacle,extending exteriorly thereof; threadedconnections between said shaft and said pleated tube, Wherei by through rotation of the shaft, said tube may be extended and contracted to lengthen and shorten the shorter leg of said siphon;

a packing gland for said shaft; and means exterior of saidreceptacle for rotating said shaft. i i

In testimonyjwhereof, I aflEiX mysignature. CHARLES F. BALL. 

